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2 German spies aided U.S. before Iraq war

BERLIN — A German government report concluded Friday that two of its spies provided intelligence to U.S. officials in the days before the American- led invasion of Iraq but did not assist in the bombing campaign that started in March 2003.

The findings of the 90-page report, presented Thursday night to a closed parliamentary oversight committee investigating the role in Baghdad of agents of Germany's foreign intelligence service, or BND, were made public by representatives of the committee and immediately prompted calls by the opposition parties to hold a parliamentary inquiry.

If the opposition succeeds in gathering a quarter of the 614 parliamentary votes, which is required to open an inquiry - a previous effort last month failed - current and former government officials would be called to testify under oath, causing serious embarrassment for Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is now foreign minister but who was chief of staff for former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, would be called to testify because he had access to all intelligence reports in the days before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Schröder and his coalition of Social Democrats and Greens had staunchly opposed the invasion, using such opposition to the war during his 2003 re-election campaign.

Opposition politicians said that former ministers, including Joschka Fischer from the Green Party, who was Schröder's foreign minister, and Otto Schily, the former Social Democrat interior minister, could also be called.

The report said that the BND had not provided intelligence to the U.S. military but that the information was mostly limited to reports about civilian-protected or other humanitarian sites, such as "synagogues and Torah scrolls and the possible locations of missing U.S. pilots."

The report also said that the agents had provided U.S. intelligence officers with descriptions of Iraqi military forces along with geographic coordinates, but after they were convinced the Americans had the information. The agents had remained in Baghdad during the days before the U.S. invasion after all German official personnel had been evacuated.

It added that the two spies had depended on the U.S. Army for their safety and ability to gather intelligence. "In view of the possible need for evacuation," the agent "would be dependent on the willingness of U.S. authorities to cooperate."

Max Stadler, chairman of the opposition Free Democrats' interior and security committee, said in an interview that there were still "many open questions" about the role of the spies.

So far, he said, Merkel's government is not in danger. "For the moment, this is about the Schröder government. If the Social Democrats and Greens were so against the war, which they said, and if it is true that the agents were ordered to stay there, then there is a contradiction."

Merkel's conservative bloc and the Social Democrats have repeatedly opposed and voted against any parliamentary inquiry.

The Greens had refused to support an inquiry last month but changed their minds Friday during a meeting of the party leadership, said Renate Künast, its leader.

Hans-Christian Ströbele, the Greens' representative on the parliamentary control committee said the agents had remained in Baghdad to pinpoint targets for destruction. "The Federal Intelligence Service agents have provided building coordinates which were used purely for military action," he said.

The Left Party has supported an inquiry as well. Hendrik Thalheim, its spokesman, said in an interview: "We always supported such an inquiry. I think we can win enough votes this time round."

The Free Democrats, which along with the Left Party failed last month to gather the 154 votes needed, said its leadership would meet next week to decide what position to take.